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New guy, check out our 4 car DIY garage build!

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Lugnut2683

Well-known member
Joined
Oct 6, 2005
Messages
77
Location
Purcellville, VA
Hey everyone! :bounce:

I'm new here, but I've been documenting the construction of our garage over at E46Fanatics.com, a website for BMW owners/enthusiasts. I'd love to document the whole process here, but the thread is already over 200 posts long, so here is a link to the thread! I thought you garage junkies would enjoy it :)

http://forum.e46fanatics.com/showthread.php?t=297607

And the latest pic of the build:
14945garage_construction_223.jpg


Let me know what you think! :thumbup:
 
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bmwpower

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Staff member
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Apr 24, 2005
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12,578
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NJ
Very impressive! Just read through the original thread. Nice to see you went the DIY route.
 
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Brian

Well-known member
Joined
Apr 11, 2005
Messages
145
Location
colorado
Looks great.
Is the foundation made out of a concrete block or is it poured concrete with a brick pattern molded into the face.
 
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rick

Active member
Joined
May 19, 2005
Messages
43
Location
Michigan
Welcome and thanks for sharing the progress so far would like to see the finished product :beer:
 
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Truck Guy

Well-known member
Joined
Aug 15, 2005
Messages
59
Location
Bloomingdale, IL
:eek: WOW! I just read through the whole thread.

What a great job you and your dad are doing.

Congrats on building the garage of a lifetime! :beer:
 
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Lugnut2683

Well-known member
Joined
Oct 6, 2005
Messages
77
Location
Purcellville, VA
Tom, that's great! :thumbup:

My father and I would've finished it a lot sooner if I were done with college and he were not working a full time job!

The thread over at E46 is continually updated, so be sure to check it often. There may be a lack of updates however for the next 2 weeks as my parents are out of the country and no work will be done while my father is gone. The interior has been all cleaned up and we are already storing some vehicles in the garage. I will try and post pics as soon as I take them. Here is the latest pic we have... the roof has since then been entirely finished, so the structure is now weathertight except for the lack of siding and soffits.

14945garage_construction_225.jpg
 
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Bull

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Joined
Dec 12, 2005
Messages
16,189
Location
MA
I just spent the last hour reading the original thread, and all I can do is echo the comments already made...simply awesome. I am hoping to build a garage this summer or the next, and yours is EXACTLY what I am looking to do (minus the brick). I don't have any concept as to what your project has cost so far, but one of my best friends is a builder, so I am thinking that with his help (and discounts!) I might be able to pull it off. Thankfully, like you, I have a lot of land (16 acres) and so have plenty of space to work in.
 
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BigDogNMyrtle

Member
Joined
Jan 23, 2005
Messages
18
Location
North Myrtle Beach, SC
Lugnut acts like he knows what he's talking about and that he is some extraordinary builder or something. His dad did it all and he's trying to take some credit for it. Fixing his dad lunch and getting him drinks when he wanted one doesn't count as "helping!"










PS. I'm only messing around, Lugnut and I have been friends forever and I'm just trying to give him a hard time. I can't wait to get up there (hopefully this summer) to see him and check out the garage once its done. Maybe I can even get him to change my oil once they get the lift in! Bro it looks awesome, your dad, and I guess you, did an awesome job! See ya at Tech when I come up to visit.
 
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Lugnut2683

Well-known member
Joined
Oct 6, 2005
Messages
77
Location
Purcellville, VA
Change your oil? You think we built a 3600 square foot garage with a lift to be challenged by an oil change? :wtf: Bring us a real project fool! :evil:
 
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Rex Ruby

Well-known member
Joined
Feb 4, 2005
Messages
59
Location
Phila SUburbs
Being a contractor myself, working 99% by myself I really appreciate you Dad's ingenuity and engineering in what he has accomplished 99% by himself. I built my garage (30 X 24) and had a lot of help, I was able to get from foundation to the point you are currently at in 4 days.

KUDOs to your Dad, he is proof of if you can dream it you can make it happen!

I have a Benwil symetrical 2 post and i t has been great. I bought it used so did have much choice other than buy it or not. If I ever had to buy another it would be asymetrical. My ceiling height is just shy of 14'. I'm thinking you don't need a lift with adjustable safety locks, there are shims you can use to make the lift level and plumb. Plus how much slope could your floor have in the foor print of the lift? I think shims would solve your slope issue.

Can't believe you don't want heat. I installed a regular house forced air heater in my attic area which made running the ducts very easy. Plus I can add AC fairly easy if I ever want to. I installed a programmable thermostat with 4 setting per day. First setting (8AM) kicks the heat to 50 degrees, settings 2, 3 and 4 (forget exact times) are all 45 degrees. That way if I'm out there and crack up the heat it automatically kicks it down. Before the programmable tstat I'd be in the house all cleaned up and relaxing and then remember I'd left the heat turned up!

You didn't mention a security system. I installed a separate one from the house.

Hope you ran RG6 coax for cable.

You should run 1 or 2 RG59 coax for a camera or 2. I installed 1 camera looking out to the driveway (also gets a shot of my back and front doors). The camera signal is split and plugs into an input on my garage TV and an input on my big screen in the lilving room. It's nice when working in the garage and I hear someone pull in the driveway I can see who it is.

I installed my air compressor in a shed right next to the garage, keeps the noise way down.

Keep us posted on the progress!
 
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carb454

Active member
Joined
Sep 29, 2005
Messages
33
Location
southern MD.
Lugnut, Thats what I named my twin boys Lug & Nut ... :eyecrazy:

Just kidding , Your garage build is a great project with fast results for DIY especially if he is working 40+ hrs a week on a regular job... :bowdown: Hats -off!!

I noticed on the other web-site with the complete project, you are planning to use an epoxy floor coating .... From what I have been reading , these coatings are not able to adhear to a floor that has been sealed, and as I remember your post ,the floor has already been sealed? :wtf: So just a little heads-up to double check your application of choice before having a problem where murphy shows his ugly head :scared:

Good JOB!!!
 
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Lugnut2683

Well-known member
Joined
Oct 6, 2005
Messages
77
Location
Purcellville, VA
Hey everyone, sorry for the delay; I've been pretty busy with work lately. Jon, check your PM. :thumbup:

Yeah, regarding the epoxy, this was brought up earlier in the E46 thread as well. We've decided that we are just going to stick with the raw concrete with sealer. Like I've said before, the interior will be a work in progress, so much to the point that it may NEVER be finished, as we will continually update it as our needs arise. For now, we want it to be a true working garage, one that we aren't afraid to get dirty and really use. In this case, I think the raw concrete floor with the sealer would be a great working surface.

Maybe one day if we build an even larger garage, this garage could become a "showroom" with gloss floors, recessed lighting, and drywall (!) But for now, we want to use it for what it was built for; working on cars.

We are in the process of moving all of our tools and equipment to the new garage. We'll be posting pics in the near future of the process. My dad is planning on replacing some of his old tools now that he has a new garage to work in. We will also be researching lifts and will hopefully have one installed by summertime.

Thanks for keeping interest in this build!
 
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